Dislikes

The 2014 Mazda 5 offers the flexibility, space, and versatility of a minivan, but with the personality of a sporty small car, it's a lot more enjoyable for the commute.

A minivan can feel like a sentence for a dull car life, especially if you're making that indelicate transition between the college years and the mortgage years and the daycare years. Drive the Mazda 5 and you'll probably agree, you don't have to let go of your soul all at once.

The Mazda 5 has a charming simplicity. It combines all the usefulness of a minivan with the nimble driving feel of a small hatchback. It's arguably a more exciting option than some of the crossovers most newly minted small families are likely to choose.

The Mazda 5 was redesigned a couple of years ago, and at that time its compact proportions and boxy fundamentals remained, yet some aggressive contouring in its fenders and a rhythmic flow to its surfaces and creases added a lot more excitement to the exterior. It is indeed a minivan, but at least it's one that's very different--even sporty--looking. With lots of shiny, hard plastic and on-a-budget trims, the interior is a little more deserving of criticism, however.

Sporty yet restrained, as well as surprisingly nimble, are ways to sum the performance of the Mazda 5. Its 2.5-liter four-cylinder has just 157 horsepower; it's not quick at all. We'd choose the standard six-speed manual transmission on the base version, but even the five-speed automatic on upper trims has manual shift control. In both cases acceleration is adequate, thanks to well-chosen gear ratios. With EPA ratings of up to 28 mpg highway, gas mileage is fine, although the bigger minivans do just as well and people movers like the hybrid Ford C-Max and Toyota Prius V do far better.

It's ride and handling that continue to draw our attention. The athletic feel starts with top-notch steering and a well composed ride. It's a blast to drive, especially when the road winds. It feels natural and confident, and ride quality is comfortable and absorbent whether you’re cruising on the highway or taking on the tight esses of a mountain road.

The Mazda 5 is a tall, sliding-door wagon, but it sure doesn't feel like it. Size-wise, it's a 7/8-scale minivan; there aren’t a lot of frills, and there are no power rear hatches or power folding seats; from the driver’s seat, you might think you’re in a nimble small car, yet there are convenient sliding side doors and oodles of easily reconfigurable interior space. Mazda has managed to fit seating for six—three usable rows—in a vehicle that’s shorter than a typical mid-size sedan. The front seats are a little skimpy, but the buckets in the second row have enough space for adults to be comfortable. The third-row split bench works in a pinch for smaller kids--and folds away to create big cargo-carrying capacity. The two most significant letdowns of the Mazda 5’s interior are its drab, hard-and-hollow plastic trim for the dash and door panels, and the seemingly ever-present din of road noise.

In top-of-the-line Grand Touring form, the Mazda 5 also comes with a power moonroof, heated mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, xenon HID headlamps, heated front seats, and Sirius satellite radio (a standalone option, too), all for around $25,000. But it's the more basic Sport models that stand out to us; that's where the 2014 Mazda 5 offers loads of value and space--more than any other minivan or crossover, really. For around $20k, you get power locks, windows, and mirrors; automatic climate control; an AM/FM/CD player with an auxiliary jack; a USB port; a tilt/telescopic steering wheel; cruise control; keyless entry; and steering-wheel-mounted cruise and audio controls. Rear parking sensors also are standard, as well as Bluetooth with audio streaming, on mid-range Touring models.

Past 100K with my 2009 Mazda5 and am pleased it's going strong

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Interior/Exterior

Performance

Comfort and Quality

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Fuel Economy / MPG

Reliability

It's a great handling people-mover. Mechanics have performed flawlessly. This base model came with options that continue to keep me smiling 7 years later. The subsequent body restyling looks very nice I think...
It's a great handling people-mover. Mechanics have performed flawlessly. This base model came with options that continue to keep me smiling 7 years later. The subsequent body restyling looks very nice I think.

My only annoyance is that Mazda did so much to accommodate 6 people quite well, I find it's sometimes difficult to accommodate incidentals. The storage spots under middle row seats help a lot but not handy while driving.

Car's handling is great and I really appreciate the sliding doors every day. + More »

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November 4, 2015

For 2015 Mazda MAZDA5

could be more spacious

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I received a Mazda 5 as my rental after my car accident. I have to say i am absolutely in love and don't want to return it lol. Being that i can fold down all the backseat for more room is great. However...
I received a Mazda 5 as my rental after my car accident. I have to say i am absolutely in love and don't want to return it lol. Being that i can fold down all the backseat for more room is great. However, there isn't enough "trunk" space for my stroller and groceries. With a forward facing infant carseat and a booster seat the car seats themselves need to be pushed further back which means there is no foot and leg room for the back 2 seats. With only having 15month child in the vehicle or 2 its not a big deal (i only have 1 child) but when my eldest niece is in the backseat who is not in a carseat she has no leg room.
Also gas mileage from what I've been told is suppose to be great and I don't find it all that good. For a van type vehicle, yes its better but all in all not that great. Despite these small issues because it usually is just myself and my son if i could afford to buy this car i would in a heart beat. I absolutely love it! + More »

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May 31, 2015

2015 Mazda MAZDA5 4-Door Wagon Automatic Grand Touring

Does everything fairly well

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Performance

Comfort and Quality

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Features

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Reliability

The Mazda five is kind of a paradox, it's not really in minivan, it's not really a hatchback, it's not a sedan, but it does the work of all these things fairly well. The interior material and finish is pretty...
The Mazda five is kind of a paradox, it's not really in minivan, it's not really a hatchback, it's not a sedan, but it does the work of all these things fairly well. The interior material and finish is pretty good but economical. Reliability is amazing based on previous model history. The Mazda five provides amazing value for the price and compares in functionality very well two vehicles that cost many thousands more. It's a very agile vehicle and maintains a sense of fun even though it may look much more utilitarian. + More »